Fixed-Wing UAV Off-Site Landing Under Component Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in safely landing when experiencing component failures, as they often lack the capability to perform traditional landings, posing risks to people and property on the ground due to lower safety standards compared to manned aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A system for a fixed-wing UAV that includes a failure detection system, capability evaluation system, and trajectory generation system to determine a safe off-site landing trajectory, which may involve a stall maneuver to minimize lateral energy and direct the UAV to a designated landing site, while avoiding populated areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional landing procedures are used, then the UAV can land at standard airports, but the UAV cannot safely handle component failures during landing
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the landing trajectory and maneuver selection based on real-time capability evaluation. When component failures are detected, the system transitions from standard landing procedures to alternative trajectories that accommodate degraded vehicle performance, enabling safe landing under varying operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes critical flight parameters such as approach speed, descent rate, and trajectory angle based on the evaluated capability level. By adjusting these parameters according to the detected fault conditions, the system generates appropriate stall maneuvers that minimize lateral energy and ensure safe landing despite component failures.
2Reliability
If the UAV performs stall maneuvers to minimize lateral energy, then the UAV can land safely in degraded conditions, but the landing trajectory becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary capability evaluation and trajectory generation before the actual landing phase. By pre-computing appropriate stall maneuvers and selecting suitable trajectories based on detected faults, the system simplifies the real-time control burden and ensures that complex maneuvers are already planned and ready for execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The trajectory generation system automatically selects and generates appropriate landing trajectories based on self-evaluated capability levels. The system serves itself by autonomously determining the correct maneuver sequence and trajectory parameters without requiring external intervention, thereby managing complexity internally while maintaining simple external operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the UAV continuously monitors and updates capability levels, then the UAV can adapt to changing fault conditions, but the computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors component status and updates capability levels throughout the flight, particularly during the critical approach and landing phases. This continuous evaluation ensures that the system adapts to changing fault conditions in real-time, maintaining optimal safety margins without requiring intensive computational processing at every moment.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixed wing unmanned aircraft and a method for operating the same are provided. The fixed wing unmanned aircraft may include, but is not limited to, a failure detection system configured to detect faults in one or more of the plurality of components, a capability evaluation system communicatively coupled to the failure detection system, the capability evaluation system configured to determine a capability level of the fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle based upon the faults in the one or more of the plurality of components, and a trajectory generation system communicatively coupled to the failure detection system and the capability evaluation system, the trajectory generation system configured to generate a touch down trajectory for the fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle based upon the determined capability level of the fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein when the determined capability level is below a predetermined threshold, the touch down trajectory comprising a stall maneuver configured to minimize a lateral energy of the fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle.